What a bunch of tossers, the lot of them: more concerned with besting their rivals, whom they admire greatly, than doing any journalism; and always willing to find the time to write a verbose screed of self-justification. This one could be summarised as "yes we did it, but it was not what you think, so no we didn't do it." You can see why the news stories are not worth reading when this is all a journalist can manage in his own defence.

First thought on reading the story was that the David Slack tales are usually more plausible than this. (Sorry David Fisher) Then found out that the S Cook story gets worse.

When do we get the journalists back that report the story rather than try to be the story?

On another point - TV3 News last night had as a headline "Gunboat diplomacy". Do they have anyone older than 25 on the team as that term used to mean something more like "agree with me or else"? The story was about the rescue of a New Zealand family at sea by a ship from the French Navy. That particular story followed the latest "truth" about a certain rugby player and the formal apology from France.

A secret surveillance is necessary. However, the operator is not able to enter the target room in order to place a transmitter. The solution to the problem is our military grade Laser Audio Surveillance System . This system allows the operator to carry out an undetectable surveillance operation from outside the building with a range of up to about 500 meters.www.securityprousa.com/laausulamola.html

And if I know that portion to be false, what regard would I hold his other claims? I know the answer to that. With the same regard in which I personally hold Cook's stories about Sharon Shipton, Debbie Gerbich, Kirsty Gillon and Maycsena King.

It's a good thing that Fisher was so disgusted at working for a newspaper that published such stories that he quit immediately in protest.

I was never asked to provide an affidavit about the telescope nor was I called to the witness box by HOS lawyers to be questioned about the veracity of the claim.Until the court process is complete it would be unwise of me to talk about it - that has nothing to do with friendships.

But for the purpose of accuracy:

I don't think he was working for the HoS when those stories were published, which would have made quitting a bit difficult.

The stories David mentions in his guest blog were printed on:Gillon – Feb 2007Shipton – April 2007Gerbich – April 2007Macsyna – May 2008

David Fisher started working at the Herald on Sunday in December 2004, his last Herald on Sunday article (before going to The Listener) was printed on March 29 2008.He has since returned to the HoS.

What a bunch of tossers, the lot of them: more concerned with besting their rivals, whom they admire greatly, than doing any journalism; and always willing to find the time to write a verbose screed of self-justification. This one could be summarised as "yes we did it, but it was not what you think, so no we didn't do it." You can see why the news stories are not worth reading when this is all a journalist can manage in his own defence.

Perhaps it is just my frustrated need to declare how crappy the NZ press is, perhaps it's my long held view that a fool's friend might be a little foolish him/herself... either way, Mr Litterick's said a mouthful!

Okay, okay - Giovanni Demisiani - was originally Greek but he hung out with Italians at the Accademia dei Lincei in Rome

I find the name highly suspicious for a Greek, he must have either been Italian (Zakyntos historically has always had plenty of those) or perhaps they translated into Italian his assumd Latin name - Ioannes Demisianus - once he settled in Rome.

The stories David mentions in his guest blog were printed on:Gillon – Feb 2007Shipton – April 2007Gerbich – April 2007Macsyna – May 2008David Fisher started working at the Herald on Sunday in December 2004, his last Herald on Sunday article (before going to The Listener) was printed on March 29 2008.

Ah, so he did resign in disgust then ;-)

I must say, I'm slightly surprised at the rancour greeting this post.

What happened appears to have been a couple of beers and a laugh. Journalists are hardly the only people who ever do that. Cook's act in circulating a written claim that it was a calculated act of espionage directed by his former boss, and trying to present that claim as part of his employment action, is ... something else.

I wouldn't say it enraged me as such, I'm just a bit baffled that anybody would find it interesting on any level(*), other than for how it speaks to the infuriating insularity of New Zealand journalism. In your line of work, do you ever feel like grabbing one of these editors and chief reporters by the collar and begging them to concentrate on sucking a little less, instead of worrying about this bullshit?

Okay, so maybe a little rancour.

(*)Although, to be fair, I'm the one who's dissecting the parentage of the guy who came up with the word for telescope 400 hundred years ago, so...

Although, to be fair, I'm the one who's dissecting the parentage of the guy who came up with the word for telescope 400 hundred years ago, so...

Well, that's a fecking sight more interesting than the exercise in arrested development that gave rise to it. But then, if you happen to be inside the magic circle of media pixie-dust, it's probably all rather riveting.

My rancour was qualified... but as Gio's said; the trivial joking around and gamesmanship is annoying mostly 'cause it is not newsworthy ('cept 'cause some other oaf has mentioned it as he tries to resurrect his gaudy career) and what is newsworthy is too often very poorly treated. I'm no less annoyed by some of the the silliness in Parliament that displaces meaningful political discourse...